Application of a digital elevation model and remote sensing to monitor snow cover dynamics in the Canadian High Arctic (Nunavut).

摘要

Annual snowmelt in the Canadian High Arctic is very important in terms of both hydrology and climate. Since the vast majority of annual precipitation falls as snow, and snow cover lasts for approximately nine months of the year, spring snowmelt results in peak stream flows and substantially modifies the surface energy balance due to the large changes in surface albedo. Previous studies at Cornwallis Island, Nunavut, have attempted to model snow distribution and snowmelt at a 1 km2 grid resolution for a 16 x 13 km (208 km2) target site in the island's interior. This thesis seeks to build upon this previous research by targeting two areas, including the existing main site (Site 1) and an additional smaller site at the center of the island (Site 2). The major objectives of this thesis are to first of all improve initial snow data collection methods, and secondly to validate snowmelt model outputs using a variety of remote sensing data sources.{09}The snowmelt model used is very similar to that used in previous work. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)